Those traveling towards ‘The Cage’ have probably seen beautiful paintings or drawings lining the walls. However, few know about the extraordinary visionary behind all this quality work.

An example of scratchboard artwork.

Skyline’s resident art teacher, Daniel Ramirez, is a relatively lesser-known figure due to the fact that he gets to Skyline before 6 AM in order to beat traffic. Those who know him outside of his class probably saw the health-conscious teacher working out in Skyline’s weight room or running laps on the track.

Mr. Ramirez, or “Father Ramirez” as he likes to be called, was initially inspired to explore the profession of art by his high school woodshop and art teachers, whom he fondly recalls as role models and perhaps even father figures. He also expressed that art was a good career for him since he learns more visually than linguisticly.

Once inside his spacious classroom, one will feel like they have entered another dimension; Ramirez’s classroom is the epitome of a departure from the norm. Although one needs to see it to believe it, Ramirez himself summed it up quite well when he remarked “If I was ever moved to a different room in the school, the administration would probably have to peel the walls off this room”.

To begin, his classroom is the only one where sinks encircle the whole room and even line his storage rooms. Baffled students are confused about just how many sinks there are, but all agree that there are more than freshmen know how to count. Ramirez himself boasts “I bet there are more sinks in my classroom than any hallway combined!”

Attentive visitors will also notice that Father Ramirez has pennies glued to the wall at random locations. Other bizarre features include huge banners hanging from his two-story high ceiling and half of a shoe glued onto the door to his office.

As an artist, Ramirez enjoys pencil drawings and paintings in particular. However, Ramirez is a Renaissance man who is comfortable with scratchboards, woodprints, chalk, and a plethora of other art mediums. Most of Ramirez’s students grow tremendously in skill during their time with him and the best work is even hung up on his wall.

In addition to his ability as an artist and teacher, what endears Father Ramirez to students is his compassion and unique sense of humor. Recently, the art guru has been feeding the murder of crows residing on Skyline’s roofs from the bike roof after noting that one had a broken leg.

Such creatively outlandish undertakings are not uncommon for this true artist who confesses “I love working with students, especially those that understand my quirky sense of humor.”

All in all, Ramirez is not only a great art teacher who has helped his students grow and decorate Skyline’s halls, but also a truly unique figure that isn’t afraid to let his creative energy loose. For those Skyline students who have not met Father Ramirez or seen the artwork of his students lining the classroom, I advise you make those top priorities!